La Mint
Image: The superb French Vietnamese cuisine here banished the last gasp of winter from my palate. Bright, sweet and fruity, a Saigon 9 ($15) cocktail endears with vibrant colour and fresh mint.
The superb French Vietnamese cuisine here banished the last gasp of winter from my palate. Bright, sweet and fruity, a Saigon 9 ($15) cocktail endears with vibrant colour and fresh mint. Matching it stride for stride, huge Mango Prawns ($26) look and taste great, set off by the first ripe, fleshy mango cheeks of summer. Enoki Beef ($12) sees finely sliced scotch fillet wrapped around enoki and shallots. They’re lovely but when the Escargot à La Mint ($15) arrive, I am captivated by dipping my crusty roll into the tasty blend of baked snails with chilli, tomato and butter. The “high class” Pascal Bouchard Chablis ($52) from France complements them perfectly. From then it’s a blur of great dishes, including sensual slivers of braised Basil Eggplant ($18) well balanced by garlic and chilli; the lightest Oxtail à la Bourguignonne ($25) in town; and the fresh and fabulous La Mint Pudding ($12). I’ve pined for this dessert since having it here nearly four years ago; bitter melon makes an awesome green jelly that is cooling to the mouth. Owner/Chef George Lai’s thirty years of French and Vietnamese cooking experience really shines. Chilli use overall is restrained, but George’s sublime home-made island chilli sauce means you might NEED that pudding. Little dips!
La Mint
62-64 Riley Street, East Sydney
Ph: (02) 9331 1818 www.lamint.com.au
French Vietnamese Fusion $$$
